


Sealing the Cracks

by booksong



Series: SportsFest 2018 Bonus Rounds [8]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Multi, Non-graphic descriptions of injuries, Pre-OT3, houseki no kuni AU, nonbinary characters - Freeform, universe-typical body horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 05:43:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17177015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booksong/pseuds/booksong
Summary: "Caring for the injured, the cracked, the shattered...it’s notactuallyYachi’s assigned job.  There are others who are supposed to do it, who are good--the best--at it.  But Yachi still knows exactly where the all the supplies are stashed, and how to use them.  When you have as much free time as they do, you learn your way around the things that are important to you; sometimes by accident, sometimes out of sheer boredom...and sometimes by necessity."OR; Yachi tends to some broken places, and tries (and fails) not to hope for too much. (Houseki no Kuni AU)





	Sealing the Cracks

**Author's Note:**

> *Over three months after SportsFest, I've finally decided to post up my bonus round entries! They'll all be collected in the 'SportsFest 2018 Bonus Round' series (though each stands completely on its own) if you'd like to check out the others. Many of these pairings and fandoms I've never written for before, so please let me know what you think!
> 
> Written for BR 1: Time and Place, for the prompt 'TIME: Night/PLACE: Medic Room' with the additional request of a HnK AU. 
> 
> *This didn’t flow right for me unless I used their actual names instead of gem designations, but please know that I adored researching the gems I chose for each of them: Yachi is [yellow fluorite](https://www.ksccrystals.com/ekmps/shops/ksccrystals/images/yellow-fluorite-2145-p.jpg) at a Mohs 4 (which really does become luminescent when heated), Tsukishima is [citrine](https://www.fxsilver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Citrine-Stone-FXST0435CT-011688-a.jpg) (Mohs 7), and Yamaguchi is [pyrite](https://www.jaysonhome.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/h/g/hg143980.jpg) (Mohs 6).

Caring for the injured, the cracked, the shattered...it’s not _actually_ Yachi’s assigned job. There are others who are supposed to do it, who are good-- _the best_ \--at it. But Yachi still knows exactly where the all the supplies are stashed, and how to use them. When you have as much free time as they do, you learn your way around the things that are important to you; sometimes by accident, sometimes out of sheer boredom...and sometimes by necessity.

“We’re not running low, are we?”

Yamaguchi catches Yachi’s wrist, gently, before they can apply the glue to the splintered place at the hinge of Yamaguchi’s jaw. The inside of the wound glitters silver instead of gold in the shaft of moonlight Yachi is working by. Most of the powder on Yamaguchi’s cheek is gone too, leaving their spattered inclusions to shine like stars against the soft grey-gold of their body underneath.

“We’re not running low,” Yachi says, as quickly as they can, tugging their wrist free--Yamaguchi releases it immediately so it doesn’t splinter (it happens every now and then, and each time Yachi is secretly glad the two of them can still forget how fragile Yachi’s body is.) 

Before Yamaguchi can put up any more protest, they start swabbing the glue on and pressing the fragment back into place, where it slips in as neatly as a puzzle piece. Yachi thinks they might actually be getting better at this--and then they feel ashamed, because how could that possibly be a good thing?

There’s the click of the latches on the medic kit from behind them, and Tsukishima says matter-of-factly, “It does look a little low.” 

“ _Hey!_ You--why are you moving?” Yachi cries, and they almost bat Tsukishima’s hand away on reflex before remembering that that almost always results in _them_ cracking. Also, Tsukishima only has one hand right now anyway, and Yachi can’t bring themselves to do anything to the remaining one.

“Yachi…” Yachi can’t stand when Yamaguchi sounds like that, their voice disapproving and softly warm all at once. “I _told_ you, you have to conserve it for the bigger things! A scratch like this isn’t--Tsukki’s missing a _hand_.”

“Mmm. My hand isn’t as nice-looking though,” Tsukishima says, unbothered, holding a jar of powder up to inspect its level.

“I beg to differ,” Yamaguchi says firmly, before continuing in the same breath, “Also, don’t you kind of need it to fight?”

“Tsukishima’s hand is definitely going back on too!” Yachi interrupts, a little shrilly; they can feel the luminescence starting to heat their face under their own layer of powder. Yachi isn’t sure why it makes them feel this way when Tsukishima and Yamaguchi flirt so casually with each other in front of them, but it’s kind of been getting worse lately.

Yachi tugs the powder away from Tsukishima, who gives them an assessing look but lets the jar go. 

“ _Both_ of you are worth the supplies,” Yachi says, staring fixedly at Yamaguchi’s newly restructured jaw and its tiny, hairline cracks instead of into their coruscating eyes. Yamaguchi has lovely eyes--Yamaguchi always insists that they’re kind of a muddy color, but Yachi thinks that’s because most people don’t get close enough to see that they’re full of flecks of gold. 

Yachi’s cheeks are going to start actively glowing _any moment now_ and they’d rather at least get Tsukishima’s hand reattached before that happens.

The powder, brushed on as quickly and clinically as Yachi can manage, erases even the tiniest cracks, although in truth Yachi already kind of misses Yamaguchi’s silvery inclusion stars. “There. Now I can do Tsukishima’s hand.” 

Tsukishima’s break is jagged, as Lunarian arrow-wounds often are, but it’s at the narrow part of the wrist and not the forearm, which makes it easier for Yachi to file down the splinters of orange-gold stone at the cleavage point to form a clean surface for the repair. Yachi resists the strange urge to lace their fingers with Tsukishima’s as they line the broken hand up steady against the wrist stump, reaching for the glue again. Yachi could never side with one of them over the other, of course, but it’s true that Tsukishima has nice hands. 

Yamaguchi, their own repair done, scoots over closer to watch Yachi work. “Tickles, huh?” they comment with a little grin, as Yachi runs the glue in a smooth, unbroken line around Tsukishima’s wrist, binding the two segments back together. 

Tsukishima just shrugs, but they do shiver a little when Yachi traces a finger around the newly sealed crack, testing the strength of the hold.

“Feel okay?” Yachi asks, and Yamaguchi chimes in, “Do you remember me, Tsukki, hmm? Any holes up there?” They reach over and poke Tsukishima’s temple gently, trailing their fingertips through the short, faceted kinks of citrine hair above Tsukishima’s ear. “Where did we go on patrol yesterday?”

“I don’t need a pop quiz every time I break a minor extremity.” Tsukishima sounds bored, but they don’t knock Yamaguchi’s fingers away either. 

“Is it okay, though?” Yachi presses again, and Tsukishima looks up at them, meets their eyes. Tsukishima’s eyes are like solar eclipses, dense rings of molten yellow-gold around pupils that shade to orange so deep it’s nearly black. Tsukishima’s eyes are lovely too.

Tsukishima runs the fingers of their other hand around the sealed wrist, pressing lightly against the break. They nod. The tips of their fingers twitch, meaning the connection has been successful, that the inclusions are starting to mend the cleavage fully. “Nice work.”

The glow of Yachi’s cheeks is going to be _so_ obvious when it’s this dark. “Y-You could have waited, you know--I’m sure in the morning someone else could have--”

“It’s nice when it’s you, though,” Yamaguchi says easily, as if the words don’t catch Yachi’s breath in their chest. “We don’t get to see you much during the day, with patrol. And I like how quiet it is here, like this.” 

“You’ve managed to take care of us every time,” Tsukishima adds, still steadily holding Yachi’s gaze. “I’ve never had a problem with your mending.” They hold out the jar of powder to Yachi with one hand and proffer their wrist. _It really is getting low_ , Yachi thinks, taking up the brush.

When they finish powdering Tsukishima’s wrist, Tsukishima stands up, slowly rising to their full height. That’s another thing Yachi secretly (terribly) enjoys about these sessions; when Tsukishima is sitting, Yachi doesn’t have to look quite so far up at them all the time.

“You should come with us tomorrow, Yacchan,” Yamaguchi says, sliding down off the stone bench and retrieving their sword from where it’s leaned up against a pillar. “I know you don’t get to go out much.”

“Oh, no, I really can’t, _couldn’t_ , I mean, I’d just get in your way! What if there was another attack? I’d be useless!” Yachi cannot let Tsukishima and Yamaguchi see how much they would like to go out on patrol with them, even knowing the Lunarian attacks are growing more frequent, knowing their weakness, knowing what a burden they are to most of the other gems. It’s too selfish, and they are both far too kind.

Tsukishima frowns a little; the fingers of their newly reattached hand can curl enough now to take their sword when Yamaguchi passes it over. “You’re not useless. You can come and...I don’t know...take notes for us or something. Draw a map. Talk to me so I don’t have to spend all day hearing Yamaguchi’s speculations on whether the coastal butterflies are actually Lunarian spies again.”

“Tsukki, mean! It’s a valid theory, they’re kind of the same color! And they’re always out there when we patrol!”

“I know,” says Tsukishima suddenly.

“See! I knew you actually believed me--”

“Not that. Yachi, come gather more materials for glue and powder tomorrow. We can patrol by the cliffs. We’ll be your escort, and you’ll have a reason to be out.”

“That’s--you really don’t have to go that far for me--”

“You’re so smart, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi breaks in, looking up from where they’re hopping absently between the patches of moonlight cast on the marble floors. “We could take Yacchan with us all the time if we tell them that!”

“You...you would _want_ that?” Yachi asks in a small voice. They can _see_ their own face’s glow now--a soft yellow-green in the dark. 

“Of course!” Yamaguchi, incredibly, looks genuinely delighted by the prospect. “It’ll be fun! And sometimes I do get tired of talking to Tsukki.”

“You don’t,” says Yachi softly, but not without a little smile they can’t help.

“I don’t!” Yamaguchi admits readily. “But having _another_ person around on patrol will make it more interesting.” They lean close and lower their voice to a faux-conspiratorial whisper. “And then maybe you can help me convince Tsukki about the butterflies.”

Tsukishima rolls their eyes, but the line of their mouth is soft and relaxed, which is about the closest they ever come to smiling. “Come with us,” they say simply, and Yamaguchi nods rapidly, all approval.

Yachi clasps their hands tight before them, almost tight enough to crack, face undoubtedly a tiny, luminescent twin of the moon in the sky.

They are fragile and they are selfish, but they have also repaired many, many cracks, in themselves and in the two before them. 

And...and they are _wanted_.

“Okay,” says Yachi. 

And for now, for tonight, and maybe for tomorrow, they are.


End file.
